Delving into the Past
by XAa-ChanX
Summary: It has been nine years since Ib encountered the horrors of Guertena's artwork, but what happens when the past catches up to her?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there! Aa-chan here with my first installment of the FanFic I'm writing named Delving into the Past. This story will be based off the Japanese horror game called Ib. If you haven't played it, go play it. It's so good. I cried so hard the first time I played it because I got Forgotten Portrait. The second time I played, I got Promise of Reunion yayyy! This story is based off the Promise of Reunion ending.**

**Brofist! **

**XAa-chanX**

It has been nine years since I returned from the Fragmented World. Nine years since the artwork of Guertena hunted me. Nine years since I narrowly escaped death. Even though such a long time has passed, I still wake up in the middle of the night screaming.

When I was younger my parents sent me to a psychiatrist to figure out what was wrong with me, but I refused to speak to the doctor. After months of trying to get me to talk, she told my parents she didn't want to see me anymore. I decided not to burden my parents with my fears, so I acted like the perfect child from then on. I still had nightmares and thoughts of what could have been, but I kept them secret.

Once I moved out of the house, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. After the incident I swore I would move away from this place as soon as I could, but once the time came that I was able to, I didn't want to leave. Some unspoken force grounded me here. I didn't dare fight it, so I stayed. I didn't have nearly enough money to rent a place of my own, but I knew of a place where I could go temporarily.

The bell rang signaling the end of my classes for the day. I shoveled my belongings into my bag and slung it over my shoulder as I left the classroom. I tend to watch other people my age when class is over. I've never had any friends, so I was always fascinated in the way other people interacted with each other. My eyes stopped at two girls who were laughing with each other.

"So how do you think you-" One of the girls began to say before she noticed me staring. She nudged her friend and the other girl looked over as well.

"Good afternoon, Ib. Lovely weather today isn't it." She smiled at me.

I wasn't sure how to reply. I began to feel panicked. I nodded quickly and turned on my heels and hastily walked the other way, ducking my head.

The rest of my walk home was uneventful. As I approached our apartment, the old woman next door that I saw every day to and from school called out to me.

"Ib, my dear, how are you today?" She gave me a warm smile.

I smiled in return. "I'm well, ma'am, thank you." I glanced at the water pail in her hand and then at the flowers in her windowsill. "They've bloomed beautifully."

"They have, haven't they? The red roses are especially gorgeous. Here, why don't you take one? A beautiful girl like you deserves a beautiful flower as well." She picked one of the roses from her window and placed it in my hands. "Now run along inside before he gets worried."

I thanked her one last time and began walking up the steps to my own home. I thought of my encounter with the girls at school and then my conversation with the woman next door. I was unsure as to why I could speak to the woman so naturally, but then freeze up like a deer in headlights when speaking to the girls my age. I decided not to think too hard about it. I rummaged through the contents of my bag until I pulled out my key. Sticking it into the lock, the door clicked open and I stepped inside.

"I'm home!" I called as I dropped my bag into the floor and proceeded to the kitchen. I found a glass in the cupboard and filled it with water and placed the rose into it. I decided to set it in the window, so it could enjoy the warmth of the sun. I stared at the rose for a while when suddenly an image of Mary chasing me with the palette knife flashed in my mind. I let out a yelp and jerked backwards losing my balance and crashing to the floor.

"Ib!?" Garry came rushing into the room almost immediately after I fell and bent down next to me. "What happened, are you all right?" He followed my gaze to the rose and sighed in relief. "Did you have another flashback?"

I nodded as tears welled up in my eyes. I turned to Garry and clutched him tightly, burying my head in his chest.

His arms wrapped around me and I immediately felt safe once again. "Everything's fine now. I promise Ib. Mary will never hurt you again." He loosened his grip from me and lifted my chin from his chest. "Okay?" He smiled that smile that made my heart shatter into pieces and kissed my forehead.

"Okay…" I ducked my head once again, so he wouldn't see my burning cheeks.

We both rose from the floor and stood there awkwardly for a minute before one of us decided to say something.

"So how was school today?" Garry asked me.

I shrugged. "Same old. Some girls said hi to me today."

"Really? How'd that go?"

I sighed heavily and wandered into the living room and flopped down on the couch. "I pretty much ran away with my tail between my legs." I mumbled in reply.

He chuckled and sat down next to me. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad. You'll find some friends eventually I bet."

"Yeah, when dolls start crawling out of paintings." I pressed my head against his shoulder and squeezed his arm tightly.

Garry shook his head slightly. "They might not be as far off as you think Ib."


	2. Delving into the Past: Chapter 2

**Helloooooo fellow fanfictioners! Aa-chan here with another chapter of Delving into the Past. OH, before I forget. ****THIS IS A STORY****. There seemed to be a little confusion about whether or not this was a one-shot or a story and it is in fact a story. I may not have made that clear in the first installment and that was my bad, but now I'm making it clear!So enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!**

**Brofist!**

**XAa-chanX**

After my classes the next day, instead of heading straight home, I made my way to the grocery store further downtown. I already knew what building I would pass while going there, but I pretended not to realize. Soon I was face-to-face with the art gallery.

"Keep walking Ib." I murmured to myself.

I said that, but I still found myself walking up the steps and into the structure in front of me. Upon my entry, I immediately saw the reception desk and the same man behind it that bad been there nine years before. I nodded silently and flashed a small smile at the receptionist as I passed him.

I looked down the hall in front of me and up the stairs to the left. After glancing back and forth at the two multiple times, I decided to go straight. The first exhibit I came across was "Abyss of the Deep." I remembered it all too well. It was the place where I dove deeper into the Fragmented World. I continued wandering through the gallery and came across the rose sculpture. I looked at it carefully and smiled absently.

"Garry was right," I said aloud. "I do feel sad."

I continued on my tour of the old gallery and stopped briefly at only certain paintings and sculptures. I glared in disgust at the "Lady in Red." Other sculptures, such as "Reserved Seat" or the "Death of the Individual" I only glanced at momentarily. I visited "Worry" and "The Hanged Man" briefly as well. Once I had seen the whole gallery, I had only one place left unexplored. I peered around the corner and could see the frame of that awful painting. I slowly stepped towards it. My heart pounded in my chest and the only sound I could hear was my shallow breathing. Soon, I was standing in front of the massive painting named "Fragmented World." I wiped my thumb across the plaque and a streak of shine was left where there was no longer dust.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow across the painting. I turned around quickly and there was no one behind me. My eyes darted back to the painting and narrowed suspiciously. I lifted my hand from my side and reached towards the painting. I hesitated for a moment, but shook it off and placed my hand on top of the painting. It felt like paper. I sighed heavily and patted it momentarily. I glanced around the corner and saw a couple admiring the alien-looking sculpture and smiled. As I began to take my hand off the painting something snatched my wrist. My smile disappeared from my face and I pulled against the small hand with all my strength. Its grip didn't loosen.

I watched as another hand gripped the edge of the frame and hoisted a petite frame halfway out of the painting. All I could see was the top of the person's head. Blonde hair fell from her shoulders as she lifted her head from the ground. Two big blue eyes stared into mine with what seemed like a mixture of longing and hatred.

"Come, Ib." Mary's face twisted into a smile as she began pulling me into the painting with her. "Now we can be together forever."

I jolted awake and sat up in bed with a cold sweat. While combing my hair from my face, I looked around my room at the familiar surroundings and slowed my breathing. The alarm clock read three o'clock in the morning. I placed my feet on the floor, stood up, and walked toward the doorway. I glanced back at my room and felt a cold shiver develop from the bottom of my spine and work its way up. Rubbing my shoulders, I wandered through the living room and into the other bedroom where Garry lay sleeping. I considered going back to my own room for a split second, but couldn't gain the courage to do so.

I tiptoed across the room sliding into bed with Garry. I pressed my head against his warm back and listened as the sound of his breathing as it came out even and peaceful. He shifted restlessly and turned over to face me.

"Ib?" He said groggily. "What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare. I'm sorry to bother you like this." I whispered quietly.

"It's no bother at all. Now be good and go to sleep." He roughly pressed my head into his chest and wrapped his arms around me like a security blanket. After a minute his grip loosened and his breathing softened once again.

I snuggled against Garry, pressing my body as close to him as I could. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. I felt safest when I was with Garry. I had a connection with him that was unlike any other connection I had with any other person, including my own parents.

The next morning I woke up alone. I sat up and yawned loudly as I left the room. Garry was already dressed and in the living room reading a book he had recently picked up at the bookstore. He looked up from it as I walked into the room.

"Morning." He smiled. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Great, actually." I admitted.

"Hm, really?" His smile went from friendly to a smirk.

I looked at him quizzically for a moment before realizing my mistake and blushing from ear to ear. "No, not because of that!" I blurted out. "I, uh, well, you see…" I tried desperately to think of something to say to justify myself.

He snickered at my expression, put down his book and got up from the couch to face me. "You should look flustered more often. It's a pleasant change from your normal monotone expression." He stroked my head and smiled that smile again. "There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry."

"Okay." I mumbled, too embarrassed to say anything more.

"You don't have classes today, right?" He asked as I sat down to eat.

"No, why?"

"Do you want to do something together, today?" He sat down across from me.

"Sure." I responded as I swallowed a piece of bacon. "What do you want to do?"

He shrugged silently. "Whatever you want to do."

After taking a sip of orange juice, I could feel his eyes on me. I looked at him and sure enough, he was looking at me.

"What did you dream about last night?" He asked out of the blue.

I stopped eating and thought about the question for a minute. "Mary, trying to drag me back into the Fragmented World. This one was different than usual. Normally I have nightmares of what happened when I was there. I've never had a nightmare of going back in there."

"Well, you're not going back, so stop thinking about stuff like that, all right?" He reached across the table and rubbed my cheek lightly with his thumb. "I wouldn't forgive myself if you went back there." He took his hand away. "So where do you wanna go?"

"It's a nice day out." I observed as I glanced out the window. "We could go to the park?" I suggested.

He smiled. "Sounds fine to me. Now go get dressed, all right? I'll clean this up." He gestured to my empty plate.

I smiled and headed to my room.

The park was gorgeous. There were no clouds in the sky, the grass seemed greener than usual and it was the perfect temperature. I took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly to display my obvious happiness. I looked at Garry and he seemed just as happy as I was. I couldn't help, but smile.

We wandered around a bit and just enjoyed a day off. Garry worked at the bookstore on weekdays and I had school, so we didn't see each other much, except for in the afternoons. It was nice to be able to spend time with him outside of the house.

I snuck a peek at him and stared for a second. "You know," I waited until he looked at me. "You eyes look lighter than usual." I observed. "They're really nice, Garry."

"Pfft." He stifled a laugh and patted my head. "You're cute Ib." He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes at his mocking expression and crashed straight into someone in front of me, landing backwards on my butt. "Ouch, I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." I looked upwards at the stranger.

"It's perfectly fine." She smiled and held out her hand.

I grabbed it and pulled myself up to my feet. The girl grinned at me.

"Ib, are you all right?" Garry asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Garry." I assured him. I turned the girl. "I really am sorry about bumping into you." I scratched my head uncomfortably.

"It really is okay." She still didn't drop her smile.

"So, do you go to school here?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going. This had been the first time I had spoken to somebody that was close to my age without mumbling or looking at the ground. There was no way I was letting her slip away.

"Yeah, I go to the university right down the road." She pointed in the direction of the university I went to.

"Oh, I go there as well. Small world, I guess, but I've never seen you around."

"We must not have any classes together or anything." She shrugged.

"I'm Ib, by the way." I held out my hand.

The girl took my hand and shook it with an oddly familiar grip. She was a little shorter than me and very petite. She also had bright auburn hair and big blue eyes.

"I'm Carrie." She smiled.


	3. Delving into the Past: Chapter 3

**Hi there! Chapter 3 of Delving into the Past is here! I don't really have anything to say right now because I slept in the floor last night and I hurt, so enjoy(:**

**Brofist!**

**XAa-chanX**

I'd known Carrie for a few weeks now and could honestly say I hadn't been this happy with another person since I had met Garry. She was the perfect friend for me and made me feel like I could let go of the past a little and look towards a brighter future. Whenever I didn't have class we were always together. It was nice to have someone my age to relate to. Never having that before, I'd never known why other people always seemed so happy when they were with their friends, but now I understood.

"Garry you have a day off today, right?"

"Yea, where are you off to?" He gestured to my bag. "You don't have class today, do you?"

"No, I'm going to hang out with Carrie." I smiled as I readjusted my bag on my shoulder.

"Oh, you sure have been spending a lot of time with her lately." Garry seemed a little irritated.

"Well, yeah. She's the first friend I've had in almost ten years. Should I not be excited and want to spend time with her?" I said defensively.

"If you wanted to make friends, why didn't you move into the dorms? If I remember correctly, you showed up at my doorstep begging me to let you stay here because you didn't want to go anyplace else with anyone else."

"I told you, I didn't want to be roomed with someone I didn't know. I was scared of living with a stranger. I think I have a pretty valid reason for being afraid." I began to get angry. "I would have been fine living on my own, but I didn't have a dime to my name after I moved out of my parent's house."

"Whatever." Garry signaled he was done talking to me.

I glared at him and stomped out of the apartment, slamming the door behind me with as much force as I could. I stood there with my hand still on the doorknob for a few moments, but let go and walked away from the apartment.

I met up with Carrie in front of the university. When she saw me her face lit up immediately, but then slowly dropped as she saw my expression.

"Is something wrong Ib?" She asked me.

"Garry and I had a little fight." I explained. "He doesn't like me spending so much time with you, so I got defensive and shouted at him." I looked in the direction of our apartment. "Maybe I should go back and apologize."

"No!" Carrie grabbed my wrist tightly. "I mean, why should you give him the satisfaction?" She let go of my wrist. "It's not your fault he's jealous, right?"

"Jealous?"

"Well duh. Why else would he not want you to hang out with me? He misses being with you Ib." She said in a sing-songy voice.

"Shut up." I nudged her with my elbow.

She giggled. "You know," She stopped laughing and looked at me with a straight face. "If you're having problems living with him, you can come live with me. I have my own apartment across town and you're welcome to stay there."

"I don't know…" I trailed off momentarily. "I just can't imagine living with anyone besides Garry right now. Don't get me wrong, you've been amazing to have as a friend these past few weeks. I just don't think I've known you long enough to live with you and I'd have to tell my parents too. They know I'm living with Garry and-"

"They're okay with that?" Carrie cut me off.

"Well yeah. When I was younger I introduced them to Garry and at first they thought he was some creepy pedophile, but after seeing how happy he made me, my parents allowed me to spend time with him, so of course when I asked them if I could live with him they were fine with it. They'd known him for eight years at that point." I shrugged.

"So, if you had your parents' permission, you'd come and live with me?" She grinned.

"No, that's not what I'm-"

"Great! Call them tonight and ask them. Here's my address and you can come over whenever you're ready. I'll see you soon Ib!" She pressed a piece of paper in my hand, hugged me around the neck and walked away with a skip in her step.

I sighed heavily and turned to go back to my own apartment and face Garry to apologize. Now that I thought about it, I was being rude and absolutely ignoring him these past few weeks. If I were in Garry's shoes, I would be upset too.

Once I got back to the apartment, I slowly opened the door and stepped inside. Garry looked up from some paperwork he was doing for a moment, but when he met my gaze he hurriedly stuck his head back in the papers.

I curiously peered over his shoulder at the paperwork. "What are you doing?"

"My boss wants me to look over some of these resumes people have sent in for the job opening we have at the store." Garry said.

"I'm sorry about earlier today." I mumbled. "I should have realized I was being a jerk by ignoring you these past couple weeks."

He smiled and rubbed my head. "I'm sorry for shouting at you. I should have realized you were just excited to have a friend and not ignoring me intentionally."

"I have to go to Carrie's apartment though and explain to her that I can't live with her." I awkwardly scratched my head.

"You were going to go live with her?" Garry's expression darkened a bit.

"No, she misinterpreted what I told her and now I have to go explain the situation." I opened the front door. "I should be back in less than an hour."

"Be careful, okay?"

"I will." I smiled and left the apartment.

I finally found Carrie's apartment after wandering around for a while and hesitantly knocked on the door. I spent the whole trip here trying to figure out how I could tell her I couldn't live with her without hurting her feelings.

"Ib!" Carrie squealed when she opened the door. "Come in! Where are your bags?"

"Um, I can't live with you Carrie. I love spending time with you and being your friend and I can sleep over any time, but Garry's apartment is where I need to live."

"Oh, but I thought you two got into a fight."

"We did, but we made up when I got back. Carrie, please don't be-"

"My name isn't Carrie!" She shouted suddenly. "You still haven't recognized me Ib. Is it the hair? I died in when I got out, but I'm still the same."

"You're scaring me." I backed up towards the door.

"If you moved in with me, we could have been together forever." Her smile was crazed. "Wouldn't you like that?"

My eyes widened as I suddenly realized what was going on. "Mary?"


	4. Delving into the Past: Chapter 4

**I'm sorry…. It's been like years (exaggeration much?) since I've updated this story… school has been suckish and I've had no time to write ANYTHING, which really depresses me. I'm going to do my best to update at least once or twice a month, but I make no promises. I want to write a new story, but I'm having trouble thinking of something to write about. If any of you have any suggestions/requests let me know and I'll see what I can do!**

**Brofist!**

**XAa-chanX**

"M-Mary?" I slowly began to back up towards the door. "What are you doing here? How did you get out of the Fabricated World? I don't understand…" I said quietly. "I killed you!"

"Ib!" Mary looked hurt. "Don't say that word. It's a horrible word, and besides, you didn't kill me. You only delayed my finding you again. Oh, Ib! I've missed you so much!" She began to walk towards me.

"Stay back!" I quickly pulled my house key out of my pocket and held it out threateningly. "Don't you dare come near me."

"You're being so cruel." She stopped and combed her hair. "You never answered my question. Do you like my new hair?" She smiled. "I've always wanted red hair. It's so dangerous and fierce."

While she was busy talking about her hair I took the chance to cheat closer and closer to the door. I gripped the knob and turned it slowly. When it would not turn anymore, I ripped open the door and ran as fast as I could out of her apartment, down the stairs, and across the street.

"Ib! You can't do this to me! We were supposed to be together forever! You can't do anything to stop us from being with each other!" She paused. "I'm sure Garry would love to see me as well!" Mary's shouts became softer and softer as I ran further and further away from her home.

Once I believed I had gotten for enough away, I stopped to catch my breath. My breathing was haggard and my entire body was shaking. I pinched myself a few times wishing I would wake up and believe this was all a dream, but I wasn't waking up. I remembered telling Garry I would be home in an hour and quickly grabbed my phone from my pocket and turned it on. I had five missed calls from Garry and it was an hour later than when I said I would be home.

"He's going to kill me." I muttered to myself.

I traveled the rest of the way home and braced myself when I opened the door.

"Ib?" Garry hurried towards the door. When he saw it was me he grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into his chest. "Thank goodness you're okay!" He let go and looked at me. "Where have you been and why wasn't your phone on?"

"Carrie is Mary!" I blurted out. "I-I went over to her house to explain the situation and she began acting crazy and then she turned out to be Mary. She started saying all these strange things about us being together and she missed me and-"

"Ib, calm down, you probably just had another hallucination." Garry patted my head. "You don't need to get so worked up. It's okay, I promise."

"I'm not hallucinating. Mary is here! She's alive and out of the Fabricated World! I saw her with my own eyes." I tried desperately to make him understand.

"Ib, Mary is dead. We burned her painting. She's gone. You're starting to scare me. Why don't you take a hot shower and go to bed."

"Why don't you believe me?"

"Do you hear yourself? You're talking about Mary. The Mary that died almost ten years ago. The Mary who tried to kill you. The Mary who was crazy and sadistic and not here in the real world. She's all in your imagination, Ib." Garry seemed to be getting angry. "Please, put the past behind you and try to think about the present. Think about me, okay." Garry smiled.

"Garry we're not safe here. We need to leave. She'll find us. Please, you have to believe me. Why would I lie about this?" I was close to tears.

Garry's smile disappeared. "All right, I'm going to bed. Come find me when you want to talk about reality." He turned around and walked into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

I fell to my knees and broke into tears. If Garry didn't believe me, who would? I looked at the front door and remembered it wasn't locked. I reached for my key in my pocket and only came across a small piece of lint. My heart stopped as I searched through all of my pockets for my key. It was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, no." I banged my head against the side of the door. "Idiot!" I left my key at Mary's apartment with my address on the keychain in case I ever lost it.

Mary picked up my key and inspected it carefully. "Ib, you left me your key, so I could find you. How thoughtful." She smiled. "I'll pay you and Garry a visit first thing in the morning. I'm sure you'll both be so happy to see me." She slipped the key in her pocket and skipped off to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.


	5. Delving into the Past: Chapter 5

**So, once again, it's been like forever since I updated this story. If any of you are still following this, that's great! I'll do my best to get my creative juices flowin' and finish this up, so I won't torture you as readers anymore! Umm, I've been trying to think of what to write next and I've got a few ideas that I plan to put in words tonight. This will probably be my only Ib story, unless I decide to do a random one shot in the future with something a little… sexier b/w Ib and Garry (cough cough) ANYWAY, keep your eyes peeled for some new stories coming up!**

**Stay Sexy**

**XAa-chanX**

When I awoke the next morning, Garry had already left for work. I was positive he was still angry at me for last night, but I needed him to believe me about Mary being back! I didn't even check my clock for the time. I didn't plan on attending classes today or any other day until I somehow got Mary back to the Fabricated World. After shoving my feet into a pair of shoes, I ran out of my apartment and headed to the only place I felt like I could get some answers.

Garry slid a misplaced book into its correct spot and turned to look around the store. It was a slow day, which he didn't mind. It gave him a lot of time to think. He hadn't had any other thoughts today, though, than what Ib had told him last night. He wanted to, but he couldn't bring himself to believe that Mary was back. He had watched her disappear along with her painting when it was burned. He sighed and sat down behind the register.

"Maybe I'm in denial." He said aloud. Garry heard the bell ring signaling someone was entering the store, and his train of thought was interrupted. He looked at the customer quizzically. "Carrie?"

Mary looked at Garry and smiled. "Hi, Garry! It's nice to see you. I haven't seen you since, well, when we met in the park a while ago."

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too. Hey, I wanted to ask you, did Ib act strange when she went over to your apartment yesterday? She came home in an absolute craze. I'm worried about her."

Mary shook her head. "No, she was perfectly fine. She explained that I had misunderstood her wanting to live with me, we had some coffee, talked, and then she left. Why? Is she okay? I tried calling her this morning, but she didn't answer." Mary looked worried.

"No, everything's fine. She's probably just at school." Garry sounded unsure of that answer, even to himself. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be there too?"

Mary's act faltered a bit. "I, uh, don't have classes today." She regained her composure and smiled again. "We should go get lunch and see if we can't figure this out together! Ib's anxiety, I mean." Mary glanced at the clock. "Could you take a lunch break?"

"What do you know about her anxiety?"

"Ib told me about the gallery, and about Mary. I didn't believe her at first, of course, but she convinced me. I think we can help her though."

Garry hesitated for a moment. Something was off about her. That smile on her face almost seemed fake, or like a mask concealing who she really was. He shrugged off the feeling and came to the conclusion he was only being paranoid. "All right, let's go. It'll be nice talking to someone besides Ib about her condition."

"Perfect. I know just the place we can go." Mary put her hands in her pockets and stroked the dull side of the knife she had concealed.

I entered the gallery slowly. Just the atmosphere sent shivers down my spine. I looked at the man behind the front desk. He was fast asleep. I wandered through the gallery, set on finding only one thing. My steps quickened as I got closer to the long hallway. I turned left and stopped. The painting lay on the wall in front of me. It looked the same as it did nine years ago. As I walked past them, I noticed other exhibits had faded over time, but this one hadn't changed. There wasn't even any dust on it, like there was in my dream. I stuck my hand out and reached for the painting.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, young lady."

I jumped and turned around quickly. It was the man from the front desk. He was a middle-aged man wearing a security guard's uniform. His hair was starting to gray and he was beginning to get those lines around his mouth and wrinkles in his forehead. His whole outlook came across as tired and worn out.

"That painting is evil. The Devil's own portal to hell, if you ask me. You lay one pinky finger on that there painting, and you're lost forever. I've seen people of all ages disappear into it in the time I've been here. No one's ever gotten out."

"You know about this painting?" I asked, bewildered.

"I've worked here for years, of course I do. Everyone I tell just thinks I'm a crazy old man who spends too much time here."

"I believe you."

"Really? Well then I'm glad I've saved one soul. Be careful around this painting, all right?" He turned to leave.

"Wait! What you said earlier, about no one making it out, that's not true. I- well, we… made it out. A person very close to me and myself, I mean."

The man stopped dead in his tracks and turned to me. "You've been to the Fabricated World, and came back alive? What is in there? How did you get out?"

"Unspeakable horrors lie beyond that painting. They're all from this gallery…" I began.

I told the man about Garry and mine's nightmare. He didn't say a word the whole time I was telling the story. He only listened in what seemed like a mixture of awe and of terror. I told him of Mary, and how cunning she was and how she almost killed us. I told him how we killed her and got out of that awful place.

"Blonde hair and blue eyes you say? Was she wearing a green dress?" The man scratched his chin.

"Y-yes, why?"

"Well, I saw a girl like the one you just described leave the building a few weeks ago, but I didn't recall her entering."

My heart pounded in my chest. "So I didn't imagine her coming back. I need to stop her! I don't know why or how, but she somehow got out of the painting and she's after me. I need to get her back in there and then we _have _to get rid of that painting once and for all. I need your help."

The man sighed. "I would love to help, but I can't deface property here. I could get put away in the slammer."

"I'll do it. You don't have to. I just need help luring her back here and putting her back in the painting. You said all we need to do is get her to touch the painting, right? I'll lure her into the painting and then I'll burn it myself and take all the blame. I just can't live in this nightmare anymore."

The man sighed and pondered the idea for a while. He looked at me and groaned. "I'll help you, and don't think I'm gonna let a little lady like yourself handle a lighter. I'll burn the painting. Hell, jail is probably better than this deadbeat job anyway."

"Thank you." I smiled. "I have to go. I'm worried about Garry. I don't know what's going through his head right now. I'll come back later with him and we'll tell him our plan!" I headed for the door.

"What did you say your name was?"

"Oh, I'm Ib."

The man came over to where I was. "It's very nice to meet you Ib. My name is Joel." He held out his hand.

"You as well." I smiled and shook his hand. "I really do have to go now. I'll see you later!" I left the gallery and immediately pulled out my cell phone and dialed Garry's number.

Garry and Mary were still discussing Ib's well being when Garry's phone rang. Garry stopped in midsentence and looked at his phone.

"Oh, one sec." Garry clicked the green button on his phone. "Ib, I'm glad you called."

"Garry! I need you to meet me right away! It's really important. I have so much to tell you." I said as I walked towards the bookstore.

"I'm at the diner across the street from the bookstore. Come meet me, okay?"

"Okay!" I hung up the phone and smiled.

"Sorry, about that." Garry smiled. "Ib has some news to tell me apparently. Although, I don't know how she'll feel about seeing you since her little scene last night."

"No, I'm glad she'll be here. Shall we wait outside for her?" Mary smiled and began to get up from her chair. Garry shrugged and the two walked outside together. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something before she showed up though. You see, I'm jealous of you Garry."

Garry laughed. "What? You're jealous of me? Why is that?"

Mary's smile disappeared. "She idolizes you. She loves you. She talks about you all the time. She can't live without you! Do you know how that makes me feel!? I want to be number one in her life and you've taken that away from me!"

"Carrie, what are you talking about?" Garry backed a few feet away from her.

Mary began to laugh. It was quiet at first, but built into a psychotic fit. She looked at Garry with two enraged blue eyes. "Have you still not figured it out?"

"…Mary?"

She giggled. "There you go! Come on Garry, I knew you weren't that stupid, but now that you know it's me, I want you to leave. Ib is mine and will forever be mine. She and I were supposed to be together, and we will be! The only thing that stands in my way is you."

"Mary, you've escaped the Fabricated World, you don't have to be with Ib! You can find someone else to be with, right? There's more than just me and Ib now! There are billions of people you could have." Garry tried to talk his way out of the situation.

"No, maybe you can throw away someone so easily, but I can't! I won't. If you won't leave, fine. I'll get rid of you."

Mary pulled the knife out of her pocket and lunged at Garry with it. He narrowly dodged it and grabbed for her wrist.

"It's been nine years Garry. I'm not the weak little girl I used to be." Mary grinned widely. She kneed Garry in the stomach and shoved him to the ground. As soon as his back hit the street she fell on top of him and stabbed him repeatedly in the stomach, laughing maniacally while doing so. "I never liked you, Garry. I was always jealous, but now… you'll cease to exist."

I turned the corner that led to the diner. I glanced momentarily at the sky. The clouds were blocking the sun and it was turning out to be a very dreary day. I looked in front of me and saw two people fighting on the ground. I squinted to try and see better and I could have sworn I saw a flash of auburn. My blood ran cold and I caught myself in a dead sprint. The closer I got to the two, the more scared I got. I arrived at the scene and stopped. Garry was covered in blood and Mary was standing over him holding a bloody knife, drenched in crimson.

"Ib, I did it! We can be together now!" Mary laughed. "He won't get in the way!"

"GARRY!" I fell to my knees and began sobbing. "Garry, wake up! Please, please, please, don't be dead. I need you. I love you. Garry, please!" I took off my jacket and pressed it on his wounds.

"This was supposed to make you happy. I don't understand. Why are you crying?" Mary's smile dropped and she took a few steps backwards "I-I have to go." Mary turned and took off.

"Somebody please help! Anybody! He's not breathing! HELP!"


End file.
